xLOOKING FORWARDx officially formed in September of 1999, featuring their current lineup : Justin (vocals), Josh (guitar), Kevin D (bass) and Kevin O (drums). But their history is much deeper. Justin and Josh are brothers, and Kevin D is their cousin. Kevin O hooked up with the guys after seeing Josh's old band, Denihil, play in 1995. He has been like family ever since.

After Denihil broke up in 1997, Josh, Kevin O, and Justin discussed putting a band together, and soon afterwards, Homemade Football was born. Homemade Football was a goof band of sorts, whose lyrics were about kicking field goals, the TV show "Saved By The Bell," and their favorite Chinese restaurant. The light subject matter was reflective of the guys easy-going nature, and produced some songs that are still called for (although not often) at local shows.

After differences with the bass player, Homemade Football called it quits, but Josh, Justin and Kevin O still worked on material. They eventually decided to coax Kevin D into taking up bass guitar, and soon called themselves xLOOKING FORWARDx.

They decided to take on a bit more of a serious approach, with lyrics focusing more on the value of friendship, family, staying true to yourself, and straight edge. All of the guys in xLOOKING FORWARDx are straight edge, have a strong faith in God, and though they all still embrace that easy-going nature, they understand that the band is an opportunity to speak out about things that need to be said.

xLOOKING FORWARDx has many influences, which play out in their sound. Josh, the main songwriter, listens to everything from lounge jazz to death metal, but takes influence from early thrash metal, old school hardcore, and Black Sabbath. Justin (who writes most of the lyrics) and Kevin D. are both big fans of both old- and new-school hardcore, as well as old school metalcore, i.e. Anthrax, or S.O.D. Kevin O's roots stem largely from punk, citing bands like the Misfits as what inspires him to pick up the drumsticks. The end result is a seamless blend of old school youth crew, with metal breakdowns and a punk overtone.

xLOOKING FORWARDx recorded their first demo in May of 2000, called 1117. The title was chosen due to the number of Josh's old apartment, which was a main hangout back in the day for the guys. Ironically, the album was also 11 minutes and 17 seconds long, so the title seemed like a natural fit. The album featured six songs, including current crowd favorites "Ignition," and sing-a-long "Together for a Reason". These songs, along with two others from the 1117 demo, were re-recorded when xLFx was signed to DFF records in 2001. The second project Ahoy Crew Members! was released in April of 2002. It featured 14 tracks of their trademark hardcore-metal-punk blend, from the metal-laden "Wash My Hands," to the old-school feel of "All Fun and No Fights," to the punk feel of "Not Enough Time."

After completing their deal with DFF records, xLFx were soon picked up by Blood and Ink Records, an up and coming hardcore/metal label from Richmond, VA. Their second album What This Means To Me was released on January 20, 2004. It features all the things familiar to their fans, and a more mature sound that comes only with age. However, their sound is the only thing that is mature about these guys, as the inside of their tour van will inevitably show. If you like your music fast and hard, or just like to see lots of fireworks lit off by people with seemingly no concern for their own lives, come see it for yourself.

In April 2005, fresh off of their second national tour, xLOOKING FORWARDx signed a deal with Facedown Records to release their third full-length album. The product of this effort, The Path We Tread, was released on November 8, 2005, and features 19 old-school hardcore anthems with songwriting that pays tribute to xLFx's punk rock roots backed by lyrics that are more passionate and personal than ever before. With the support of Facedown Records, xLOOKING FORWARDx is now doing several national tours each year, and gaining fans and making friends throughout the U.S.

Source : http://www.xlookingforwardx.com/index2.html